Camilla fondly remembers her brother 'who used to chase me with cricket bat'
THE Duchess of Cornwall remembered her much-loved brother when she returned to his old school today and told tales about him chasing her with a cricket bat.
Camilla, 67, was welcomed back to Saint Ronan's School in Hawkhurst, Kent, which she last visited more than 50 years ago to see her younger brother Mark Shand, who spent his happiest school days there.
Mr Shand, a 62-year-old conservationist and travel writer known at school by the nickname Shandy-Ba, died in a freak accident in April after falling and hitting his head in New York.
At a school assembly the Duchess dedicated an all-weather pitch - still being built and named Shandy-Ba - to her brother's memory.
I'm told he was very good-tempered, at home he had a foul temper and chased both me and my sister round the garden with his cricket bat - but it was all smiles again
She told the pupils at the day and boarding prep school, founded in 1883 and based in a Grade II listed mansion: "Wherever Mark is today, he would be so proud that this all-weather pitch has been named after him. I think he would be rather surprised too because although he adored Saint Ronan's - and said it was the best school he'd ever been to - he didn't like school very much afterwards."
Camilla added, joking: "This is where his love of sport started, he adored cricket. I'm told he was very good-tempered, at home he had a foul temper and chased both me and my sister round the garden with his cricket bat - but it was all smiles again."
The Duchess, who toured the school, is thought to have last visited Saint Ronan's to take part in a sister's race on school sports day in 1963.
Former pupils include Sir Michael Grylls, the ex-Conservative MP and father of the adventurer Bear Grylls, and former Daily Express cartoonist Osbert Lancaster.
Headmaster William Trelawny-Vernon described Mr Shand as a sporty pupil who had captained the cricket and rugby teams during his time at the school from 1959-1964.
In the school's main hall, Camilla chatted to David Duttson, 78, her brother's former form and English teacher.
Mr Duttson, known to pupils as Dutty, recalled Camilla's brother. "He was aged eight or nine and was full of humour and very good value and always had a smile on his face - a really super chap," he said.
He gave the Duchess a copy of some of her brother's final term marks across a range of subjects.
Richard Slocock, 63, known as Slockit at Saint Ronan's, reminisced about his good friend Shandy-Ba, but could not shed any light about where his nickname came from.
Camilla was shown a picture of the school cricket team which featured her brother and Mr Slocock, who was the wicket keeper.